before and after

BEFORE july 4th, posted a list of goals for july....now AFTER happy to say one goal has been met!  it's the scrappy wall quilt that no longer takes up design wall space....this was the first version....the BEFORE

i tried following the values in the book  (Betsy Chutchian's 'quilts for all seasons') but found that my lights were too light, soooooo after some ripping and re-sewing, this is the final version aka AFTER....

today is declutter, a few household chores, and more tackling of the july list.  happy to say all pieces cut for the guild's october challenge plus more bow ties for the seemingly never-ending project that i think is nearly ready for flimsy stage.  got the newly acquired stash washed and dried and ready to use as well.   indulged in a celebratory hamburger for lunch, a welcome change from chicken!  july marches on and so must i!  

happy 4th of july!

no overgrown, overpaid little boy can take away what this flag represents to ALL americans, whether they agree or disagree with politics or the cultural history of the past....this flag gives everyone the right to express themselves, so by denigrating the flag they are discounting that right.....think about THAT CK!

vacation countdown!

starting to cross off the days until my summer aka cooler vacation in maine...can't wait to catch up with family and visit up close and personal....but the july sewing list is at the forefront today....what's on it?

1.  finish quilting the 'cabana daydreams'.....almost ready for the binding

2.  get the scrappy christmas trees to the flimsy stage....need 90, have just over half done

3.   finish up some border blocks for a wall quilt to get a flimsy....about 10 more to go

4.   october guild challenge project....templates prepped, fabrics pulled....it's a small wall quilt but can i get this to a flimsy too?

5.  and (hopefully) get another scrappy to the flimsy stage; it's a quasi-log cabin, dark blues and tans, only 12 blocks but they are 16", lots of strip cutting will need to be done....

all this plus the extensive cooking i routinely do, plus occasional housework, some volunteer duties, required grocery trips and all-important sleep.....already today have washed dishes and made a wild mushroom tart....so citygal, start that vacuum!  

homage

what better way to start off july than by honoring a long-ago quilter and some of her work....this piece was donated to the senior center in a box of stuff--some quilt tops and a few blocks in progress--and i quickly brought it to the supervisor as being vintage and worthwhile to preserve.  she mentioned the county heritage center, so i called them and offered it.  but because its county provenance could not be authenticated, they had no interest in the piece.

i could not bear to toss it out....it is hand pieced, and yes, wonky and imperfect, but the fabrics are clearly old.  deciding against fussing with it too much as it is fragile and stained, decided to just add this little printed chevron border and bind.  things like this always make me wonder about the maker....there were a few other blocks in progress but this was the only one completed.  it's a testament to someone's desire to create for whatever reason, and as annette funicello said, "life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."   so too with quilts....

and since the dog days of summer are here for the entire week, some refreshing "green tea" will be on hand....the basting pile grows by one!